


Divide and Conquer

by thatwriterlady



Series: October Drabbles 2017 [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Dean, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Domestic Fluff, Family, Kids Testing Parents, M/M, Omega Castiel, Prompt Fic, Raising Pups
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2019-01-08 08:56:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12251145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatwriterlady/pseuds/thatwriterlady
Summary: Kids like to test their parents at every turn. Dean and Cas' kids are no different.  The problem is that they have one pup with a myriad of health issues that cannot be ignored, even if the pup wants to pretend they don't exist, and when he tries to get his sister to help him pit their parents against one another so that they can try and manipulate their Alpha father into letting them have more junk food, their plan backfires, with consequences.  Sometimes children only learn the hard way.





	Divide and Conquer

**Author's Note:**

> So I decided to give their older pup Connor the same health problems that my younger daughter has. And yes, she has all of these same ones. Here is what Connor has, and what the letters stand for, for those that don't know what they mean. You can check out the links I provided if you're interested in learning more about any of these conditions:
> 
> GERD: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease aka: Acid Reflux 
> 
> http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gerd/basics/definition/con-20025201
> 
> IBS: Irritable Bowel Syndrome
> 
> http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/irritable-bowel-syndrome/basics/definition/con-20024578
> 
> Lactose Intolerance
> 
> http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lactose-intolerance/basics/definition/con-20027906
> 
> You'll see how painful each of these conditions are on their own, but combined? It's pure misery. My daughter is on a strict diet to keep her intestines calm, but she's also on medicine to keep them from spasming, and on medicine for the GERD because she has nausea so bad that without it, she literally throws up every day, no matter what she eats or drinks. She is lamenting the fact that soda, spicy foods, fried foods, and basically all junk food is now out of her diet. She gives dirty looks at the carrot sticks and dry cereal that have replaced her taquis and potato chips, and I'm seriously surprised she's not writing poems about how much she misses her Pepsi, lol. The doctor told her she can occasionally have Sprite or root beer, but only occasionally, not caffeinated sodas. Caffeine apparently relaxes the esophagus, so soda hits her stomach AND her intestines. Poor kid. Between her health problems and mine, we're both trying to eat better together. Cutting out as much of the junk food as possible, which is NOT easy. She snuck junk food the other day and spent a half hour bent over the toilet throwing up. Pepsi and Doritos. She won't be doing that again! Connor is learning that in this story, but kids are stubborn, and they resist as much as possible. Cas and Dean have their work cut out for them. Parents have to stay one step ahead.

**Day 2~**

 

**Divided~**

“They’ll never say yes.”  Ronan said very matter-of-factly.

 

“No, _dad_ will never say yes.  Papa, eh, he could go either way with the right amount of persuasion.  It’s dad that talks logic into his head and then he says no.  We have make them get mad at each other.  If they’re not talking, dad won’t be able to tell papa what we’re up to, and we’ll get what we want.  It’s brilliant really.”  Connor was smug in his assessment.  His sister narrowed her eyes and it gave him chills just how much she looked like their dad when she did that.

 

“I don’t want them to fight.  They don’t fight.  Mates that fight don’t stay together.  Are you stupid or something?”

 

“No I’m not stupid!  But we never get anything _we_ want!  Is it so bad that I want to spend my allowance on junk food and soda?  But dad won’t let me.  He won’t let me stay up watching scary movies, he won’t let me eat chips and drink soda, he won’t let me eat the big candy bars, he won’t let me do anything!”  Connor stomped his foot in frustration while his sister looked on in mild amusement.

 

“Gee, and I wonder why.”

 

“Shut up.  You know you want extra candy too.”

 

Ronan rolled her eyes and flopped back on her brother’s bed. Her dark hair fanned out around her.

 

“If you mess up the most perfect mated pair in the history of mated pairs because you want to stuff your face with chips you know will make you sick, I will murder you myself.”  She warned.

 

“So you’re in?”  He was grinning wide, eagerly excited and ready to get started.

 

She rolled her eyes and groaned.

 

“Why am I even related to you?”

 

 

“The kids are up to something.”  Cas said very casually as he unloaded the dishwasher.  Dean looked up from where he was checking the chili he’d put on that morning.

 

“The kids…or Connor?”

 

Cas smirked.  “He’s the instigator, but he got his sister involved this time.”

 

“Great.  What are they up to this time?”

 

“I’m not entirely sure, but I think it has something to do with the fact that I wouldn’t let him buy a family size bag of Doritos just for himself yesterday when we went grocery shopping.”  Cas replied.  Dean lowered the lid on the crock pot and looked at his mate in amusement.

 

“What the hell would he need a bag that big for?”

 

“I think his logic is that he should be able to blow his allowance on whatever he wants.  And yes, he can spend it as he wishes, but with his multiple health issues, his GERD and IBS have not been his friend lately.  He’s been pushing the lactose intolerance lately too, most likely at school where I can’t monitor what he’s eating as closely, and he wanted a bag of _ranch_.  Which we both know makes him extremely sick.  Then he tried for one of those giant candy bars.  You know the ones that are even bigger than the king size?  The ones loaded with _milk_?”

 

Dean scrubbed a hand down his face and sighed heavily.  Their son was thirteen and if he didn’t stop, he would be making himself irreparably sicker.

 

“So what do you think he’s up to?”

 

“I think they’re going to try to pit us against one another.  They know I won’t budge on giving in, but they think you will.”  Cas said plainly.  Dean bristled.

 

“Like hell I will!  This is his health we’re talking about!”

 

Cas went to his mate, leaning in and placing a hand against his chest as he bared his throat.  Dean scented him, immediately calming down.

 

“Damn pups thinking they can play their parents against one another like that.  They’ve got another thing coming.”  He grumbled.”

 

“Oh?  Did you have something in mind?”  Cas asked as he stood back and looked his Alpha in the eye.  There was a wicked glint in those green orbs.

 

“You could say that.”

 

Cas smiled.  “Oh, do tell!”

 

 

“Papa?” 

 

Dean had been going over the inventory for one of his shops when he heard his daughter’s voice in the doorway to the office.  He looked up to see her standing there. 

 

“Yes, sweetheart?”

 

“I’m bored.”

 

“Where’s your brother?”

 

“Playing video games.”  She stuck her lower lip out in a pout.  It had been cute when she was five but at 11, almost 12, it wasn’t quite as cute anymore.

 

“And you don’t want to play.”  He concluded.

 

“Not the scary game he’s playing.” 

 

“You guys aren’t supposed to be playing scary games, not with his anxiety, those are against the rules.”  He said as he got to his feet.

 

“Dad told him it was ok.”

 

Dean’s first instinct was to bristle, but then he realized this was probably the kids’ first attempt to pit them against one another.  He walked over to his daughter and smiled down at her. 

 

“Well, if dad says he can play it, then I guess he’ll have to deal with the nightmares later.  What did you want to do?”

 

She blinked in surprise for a moment.  “Um…make a pie?”

 

“That sounds like a great idea.  Come on, princess.” 

 

As they passed by the den she looked in at her brother who gave her a questioning look.  She just shrugged and shook her head.  It hadn’t worked.  In the kitchen, Cas was humming as he prepared dinner.

 

“Hello, darling.”  He greeted his mate with a kiss.

 

“Hey, babe.  What game was that you let Connor play?”

 

“Game?”  Cas asked, clearly puzzled.  Dean jerked a thumb back towards the den.

 

“Yeah, he says you gave him permission to play some scary game.  I figured if you did, it’s his responsibility to deal with the nightmares tonight.”

 

The look that came across the Omega’s face was downright thunderous as he stripped his apron off and stormed out of the room.  A moment later they heard Connor shriek and Cas reprimanding him.

 

“I’m guessing your brother lied to you about getting permission.”  Dean said as he began pulling out the supplies to make the pie.  Ronan laughed nervously as she began pulling her hair back in a ponytail.

 

“Yeah, I guess he did.”

 

“What kind of pie should we make?”  He asked.

 

“Cherry!”  She exclaimed.

 

“Sounds good to me.”

 

 

“So your son is grounded for a week.  And he had nightmares last night.”  Cas said as soon as Dean walked in the door.

 

“I knew you grounded him.  I heard him screaming several times during the night.  I also heard you get up to make sure he took his anxiety medicine.”

 

“I had to wait until they weren’t in the house to talk to you, so the little shits wouldn’t overhear us.  They’re working my last nerve.”  Cas had his hands on his hips and his lips were pursed in annoyance.  Dean thought he looked adorable in his scrubs.

 

“They’re still at practice?”

 

“Yes, but you have to pick them both up at six.  I’m putting dinner in now, it’ll be done by six thirty.  We have to be ready for their next attack, and prepared to divide them again.”  Cas warned.  “So be prepared when you’re driving them to and from school and other things.”

 

Dean sighed and nodded.  “Fine.”  For the moment he just wanted to enjoy a minute alone with his mate.  They didn’t get too many of those anymore.  He crossed the kitchen and pulled his Omega into his arms.  Today’s scrubs had tiny kittens with balls of yarn all over them.  He loved that his mate had gone into veterinary medicine and that he healed sick animals for a living. 

 

“I’m not letting two greedy little pups tear us apart.  I love you too damn much, sweetheart.”

 

Cas relaxed in his arms and smiled.  “I know.  I love you too.  They’re just getting to that age.  Connor is too much like my brother.  I never thought I’d end up with a pup like Gabe.  I don’t know what I did in a past life to end up with a child this mischievous.  The boy works my every nerve.  He drags his sister into things too.  She wouldn’t be so bad if he wasn’t constantly getting her in trouble too.”

 

“Yeah, well, I did a fair amount of getting Sam in trouble when we were younger, and Gabe got you and Anna both in trouble when you were younger.  It’s what the oldest does.  It’s like, in their genetic code or something.  Maybe we should just let him pig out one time, really, really bad, while watching horror movies.  Just place a bucket in front of him and make him do all of the cleanup himself.  Not do an ounce of it ourselves.  See if he’s so quick to want all that crap next time.”  Dean chuckled.

 

“Maybe you’re right.”  Cas sighed and leaned his head on his mate’s shoulder.  “I love him, but he’s giving me gray hair.”

 

Dean’s chest shook with laughter as he ran his fingers through his Omega’s hair.

 

“I dunno, I think it’ll make you look more distinguished.”

 

Cas slapped his chest playfully and pulled away.  “You know, ten years ago, a half hour to spare, you’d have had me bent over this counter, locked on your knot.  Now we’re joking about gray hair.  God, we’re getting old!”

 

“We’re not old, but you’re just as sexy as you were the night I bonded with you, and once we get our monsters into bed tonight, I will gladly bend you over and lock you on my knot.”  Dean waggled his eyebrows and grinned which got his mate laughing.

 

“I’ll hold you to that.  Now go get the monsters, and on your way home get some almond milk.”

 

 

“Whoa, what do you think you’re doing?”  Dean put a hand up, blocking his son from adding anything to the belt behind the two gallons of almond milk he’d just placed up there.

 

“I have my own money.”  Connor stood up tall and puffed his chest out.  He jutted his chin out.  “Dad let me get one last time.”

 

Dean turned around to face his son, leaning down so that he was eye level with the boy.  Ronan backed up a step the moment she saw the glint in her father’s eye.  He fixed her with a glare too that told her she wasn’t getting off the hook so easy either.

 

“Now see, I know what you two are up to.  Your dad?  He’s not letting you get candy bars, especially _milk chocolate_.”  He pulled the candy out of his son’s hand and stuck it back on the shelf.  “And we’re not letting you get Cool Ranch Doritos either, especially not a freaking _family size bag_.”

 

Connor winced and looked away.

 

“So I don’t know why you have your sister trying to help you get your dad and me to fight thinking we’d actually _not_ communicate and you’d get away with buying crap that will make you extra sick, but it’s not happening.  You have multiple sicknesses, Connor.  Your body needs the time to heal and it can’t do that if you’re pumping a ton of garbage into it.  It bugs me that you think I’m the easier parent to manipulate.  I’m not.  And I will not cross your dad.  If you want candy, that’s fine, but you will choose one that will not aggravate your IBS, and does not contain lactose.”  Dean stood up straight and put his hands on his hips.  “Have I made myself clear?”

 

Connor’s shoulder’s sagged.  “Yes, sir.”

 

Dean turned his attention to his daughter.

 

“Ronan, who’s bright idea was it to try and get me and dad to fight anyway?  That doesn’t seem like something you’d come up with.”

 

She immediately pointed at her brother.  “His idea.  He said we’d get more snacks if you guys weren’t talking.  I said I’d kill him if you left dad.”

 

“Ronan!”  Connor whined.  The look of betrayal on his face was comical.

 

Dean huffed out a laugh and shook his head before pulling her close by the back of her head and kissing her right on top of her hair.  She smelled sweet like honey.

 

“I’m not leaving dad, not now, not ever.  Two little squirts like you will never come between us.  Your brother’s already grounded but dad might be upset enough to lay down some punishment for you for going along with him.”

 

“I’ll accept that.”  She sighed.

 

“Can I have these?”  Connor held up a package of Swedish fish.

 

“Yeah, those are ok.”  Dean grabbed them and tossed them on the belt.  “Just give dad a dollar later.”  Connor nodded.  All of his usual smirk and sass was drastically subdued now.

 

At home, the kids marched quietly through the living room and straight up to their rooms.  Cas looked to his mate, one eyebrow arched in question.

 

“I called them out on their behavior.  They were definitely trying to divide and conquer in hopes that if we weren’t talking, I’d be a big enough push over that they could manipulate me into letting them have tons of snacks that would make Connor sick.”  The Alpha explained.  Cas’ jaw dropped for a moment before his eyes narrowed.

 

“That little…”

 

“Anyway, Ronan turned on her brother so fast.  I didn’t even need to threaten her, but I did tell her that you would be unhappy and might have a punishment for her.  She actually said she’d accept that.”  Dean carried his gallons of milk into the kitchen to put in the the fridge and Cas followed.

 

“I’ll have to think on that one, and we’ll discuss that when they’re not home to overhear.  For now, dinner’s ready.  I made a rice and quinoa blend and chicken with an herb rub.  I’m still learning what foods Connor can and can’t eat since his diagnosis.  I almost just went for mashed potatoes and gravy but then I remembered he’s lactose intolerant.  I have to see if there is such a thing as lactose free gravy.  It probably exists but tastes awful.”  Cas said as he took a pitcher of iced tea of out the fridge.

 

“I’ll get the kids to come down for dinner.  Stay strong, honey, we only have seven more years and then Ronan’s off to college.”  Dean teased as he stole a kiss.  Cas chuckled.

 

“Maybe now is the time to tell you I’m overdue by three weeks for my last heat.”

 

Dean nearly dropped the glasses he’d just taken out of the cabinet as he spun around to look at his mate.

 

“Are you being serious?”

 

“As a heart attack.”

 

Dean was quiet for a moment before a huge grin formed on his face.

 

“Maybe this one will actually be like me this time.”

 

Cas burst out laughing.

 

“I’d like that very much.”

 

Dean joined in laughing.

 

“Jokes on the kids.  Wait til we tell them that one of them has to share a room!”

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are always welcome. Thank you for reading.
> 
> Oh, and Cas didn't hit Connor when he went in and caught him playing the scary video game, he just scared the heck out of him by sneaking up on him and made him scream, lol. Let's hope the little snot learned his lesson! Lol!


End file.
